Viral Ecology of Flavivirus and Alphavirus associated to mosquitoes in Mangroves and neighborhood ecosystems from Northern of Colombian Caribbean

Viral Ecology of Flavivirus and Alphavirus associated to mosquitoes in Mangroves and neighborhood ecosystems from Northern of Colombian Caribbean

Richard Hoyos-López. B.Sc. M.Sc. Ph.D.

Abstract

Viral emergence, in the context of viral evolutionary ecology, requires the identification of viruses in mosquito and vertebrate communities, subtypes/evolutionary variants with increasing virulence, the frequency of interaction and habitats that may favor transmission to alternative reservoirs or hosts. All this information allows identifying the potential elements that are necessary for the emergency in human populations, whose intervention facilitates the jumps to alternative hosts, changes in communities of mosquitoes and vertebrates that favor epidemic outbreaks. In our study, we determined the ecology of pathogenic arboviruses belonging to the genera Alphavirus and Flavivirus in mosquitoes associated with coastal ecosystems, and their potential for emergent scenarios in the rural area "La Balsa" from San Bernardo del Viento (Córdoba, Colombia). In this sense, was our aims: 1. identifying the viruses belonging to the genera mentioned above in the species of mosquitoes collected. 2. The phylogenetic analysis of the viruses detected allowed complementing information on virulence, viral dispersion and its possible epidemiological implications in emerging events. 3. The possible reservoirs or hosts present in the area, through the molecular identification of the blood sources of engorged mosquitoes, collected. 4. The interaction networks between virus-mosquito-vertebrates, relating the configuration of the study area, and its diversity in vertebrates (mainly resident and migratory birds). More than 22,000 mosquitoes were collected in the period 2011-2014, and evaluated by generic/nested RT-PCR for Alphavirus - Flavivirus and sequencing, detecting the presence of SLEV, WNV, YFV, DENV, VEEV and CxFv in Culex subgenus Melanoconion, Ma titillans, Ha. (Section Splendens), Ae. aegypti, De. atlanticus, Ps. confinnis, Ae. scapularis and Cx. quinquefasciatus. Evolutionary, it was possible identify evolutionary variants of SLEV (genotype IV), WNV (Texas-2002) and VEEV (subtype ID), that are characterized with no or little presence of disease in humans, circulating in enzootic cycles, but which constitute the potential basis for genotypes and / or virulent lineages. The identification of blood sources of nine mosquito species allowed us, estimate the interaction networks that configure the possible circulation of the arboviruses detected, highlighting the protective role that the high diversity of vertebrates has in the viral circulation for human populations. The rural area “La Balsa” of San Bernardo del Viento can be considered with the adequate elements for the circulation of Flavivirus and Alphavirus. This zone has a high intrinsic potential for transmission to human populations in the scenario of the presence of endemic pathogens, and the existence of cycles enzootic of pathogenic arboviruses that present "spillover" on nearby human communities, and consequently sporadic cases or small outbreaks of diseases associated with re-emerging arboviruses such as DENV, YFV and VEEV.

References

Hoyos-López R, Soto SU, Gallego-Gómez JC. Evolutionary relationships of West Nile virus detected in mosquitoes from a migratory bird zone of Colombian Caribbean. Virol J. 2015a; 12: 80. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12985-015-0310-8

Hoyos-López R, Soto SU, Rúa-Uribe G, Gallego-Gómez JC. Molecular identification of Saint Louis encephalitis virus genotype IV in Colombia. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2015b; 110(6): 719–725. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760280040

Hoyos-López R, Suaza J, Tenorio A, Uribe S, Gallego-Gómez J. Molecular detection of Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus in mosquitoes from La Pintada (Antioquia). Rev MVZ Cordoba. 2015c; 20(3): 4800-4806. https://doi.org/10.21897/rmvz.49

Hoyos-López R, Suaza-Vasco J, Rúa-Uribe G, Uribe S, Gallego-Gómez JC. Molecular detection of flaviviruses and alphaviruses in mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from coastal ecosystems in the Colombian Caribbean. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2016; 111(10): 625-634. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0074-02760160096

Hoyos-López R. Molecular Typing with COI-DNA Barcode of mosquitoes with medical importance from rural area of La Pintada, Antioquia, Colombia. Biorxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/260505

Hoyos-López R, Fernandez N, Gallego-Gómez JC. Interaction Networks and Arboviruses: Blood-Meal Sources of Mosquitoes Collected in Coastal Ecosystems from San Bernardo del Viento (Córdoba, Colombia). https://doi.org/10.16925/greylit.2097

Laurito M, Hoyos-López R. First record of Culex (Culex) bidens (Diptera: Culicidae) in Colombia: Taxonomic and epidemiological implications. Acta Trop. 2018; 188: 251-257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.09.010

Toro-Cantillo A, Hoyos-López R. Molecular identification of Deinocerites atlanticus (Adames, 1971) (Diptera: Culicidae) using cytochrome oxidase I. Journal Vector Borne Diseases. 2018; 55(1): 63-65. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-9062.234629    

Usme-Ciro, J., Hoyos-López, R., & Gallego-Gómez, J. C. Viral evolutionary ecology: conceptual basis of a new scientific approach for understanding viral emergence. In Epidemiology-Current perspectives on research and practice. InTech, 2012. doi: https://doi.org/10.5772/34006